Londýnský kroužek Ostraváků Der Londoner-Ostrauerkreis

Our Ostrava Group

Number 12 Autumn 2009- One of the many delights of this project is meeting (either face to face or via email or telephone) wonderful people and finding new (to me) facts and then connecting them one with another. There are a lot of such connections in this Newsletter.

NISKO MEMORIAL UNVEILED IN OSTRAVA On 17th October, 1939, the first mass deportation of Jews in the Second World War took place from Ostrava in Czechoslovakia. About 1000 Jewish men aged between 17 and 60 from Ostrava were put into railway carriages in the main station. The carriages were locked and the train and everyone in it were left until the next day, with no food or water. It finally traveled to Nisko nad Sanem in Poland. When they arrived, a German officer addressed them. He was Adolf Eichmann, now in charge of ‘Jewish Resettlement’, as he had earlier been in charge of emigration. “There are no apartments and no houses – if you will build your homes you will have a roof over your head’. There was ‘no water’, Eichmann added. “If you dig for water, you’ll have water’. The camp was abandoned after several months. Many of the people died there; some escaped east into Russia, and some returned to Ostrava from where they were later transported to Theresienstadt and thence the death camps. And so it was that, on the 15th October this year, about 100 people gathered in the bitter cold, in biting wind and sheeting rain and snow, outside the main station of Ostrava to unveil a Memorial to those who had been transported. Ing Petr Kajnar, the Mayor of Ostrava, made a speech as did representatives of the Jewish community. Wreaths were laid, including one by the Head of the Czech Freedom Fighters and by individuals, including 4 elderly people who had travelled from Israel especially for the occasion. The Rabbi from Prague recited El Moleh Rachamim and Mourner’s Kaddish. Then everyone went on to the site of the old Jewish cemetery, still in the bitter cold and wet. A memorial to the Nisko deportees had been unveiled there in 1994 by President Vaclav Havel. Representatives of the Regional Government and two of the Israeli visitors spoke, wreaths were laid and El Moleh Rachamim and Mourner’s Kaddish were again said for those who had been killed. After that, frozen both physically and spiritually, we all went to the House of Culture where an audience of some 500 people listened to a concert of Klezmer, Hebrew, Yiddish and Czech songs and music, presented by 6 different groups. The last group

33/35 Uxbridge Road Kingston upon Thames Surrey, KT1 2LL 020 8546 9370 www. Kingston-synagogue.org.uk

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sang, very movingly, the last verses of Avinu Malcheinu from the Neilah service of Yom Kippur and then Adon Olam. This was introduced as a hymn to God “Who was there before anything existed and will still be there when everything has ceased to exist”. The finale included all the performers together, about 50 singers and instrumentalists, and the audience who joined in the refrain of a Yiddish song, specially written for the occasion, that we are all brothers and sisters, Jews and non-Jews alike. Earlier, there had been a conference in the University and a series of lectures for about 60 students on Nisko and the growth, development and importance of the Moravian Jewish community. The lecturer commented that Ostrava would certainly not have been as it is without the Jews. There was also a most impressive exhibition, mounted by the students of the Vitkovice Mining and Engineering College. Libuše and Michal Salomonovic had worked tirelessly in helping to arrange the ceremonies and the exhibition. How they and the many elderly participants managed to withstand the stress and weather I do not know. Perhaps Michal Efrat who, aged 83 came from Israel for the ceremony, answered it; “I knew I just had to come”

Ceremony at the Nisko Memorial in the former Jewish Cemetery

Peter Erben Michal Efrat Kaddish

Memorial to the Deportees from Ostrava to Nisko, outside the main

railway station in Ostrava.

A Matzevah, on which is written, in Hebrew, Czech

and English:

“In memory of the Victims of the First Deportation of European Jews on 17

October 1939 from Ostrava to the Polish Town of Nisko”,

backed by a “fractured” Magen David.

Photo from Ostrava City Website

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CONNECTIONS Peter Erben (geb Eisenberg) is now in contact with Fred Austin (geb Alfred Stiller) and has received a copy of Fred’s autobiography, Czech and Mate and has passed it on to others who remember Alfred. Peter was very friendly with Fred’s elder sister and had been trying to make contact with Fred for many years, before we enabled the connection. We, also, have a copy of the book in our archive. Yvonne Patch (geb. Mechner) found us through Dr Michal Frankl of the Jewish Museum in Prague. Her father (Bedřich Mechner, later known as Fred) came from Ostrava to England through a Zionist organisation in 1938 and Fred worked at Manor Farm

He later studied at Leicester and Oxford Universities, taught at Wyggeston Grammar School in Leicester and later moved to Canada where he is now Emeritus Professor at the University of Western Ontario. Libuše Salomonovičová did her usual incredible feat of uncovering all sorts of information about the family, which we sent on to Yvonne. She replied “It's hard to describe to you how much of an emotional impact this has particularly since I have never heard any of this from my father. I truly am grateful to you for being an

advocate and sharing this news with me. In some ways I have always felt a bit isolated as an

only child growing up with the tragic burdens experienced by my father. He would fluctuate

between immense sadness, and suppression of events.” Uri Meretz read in our last Newsletter about the life story of Hans Hechter (now Moshe Har-El) -Von Mährisch Ostrau in die Berge der Tatra und nach Israel. Uri (there are actually two Uri Meretz in Israel, who are cousins!) was in the first class of the Jewish Primary school in Ostrava with Hans. Uri writes: “Thanks to you, Moshe Harel and I have already been in contact and we plan to meet soon.”

Dan Spitzer wrote to us from Israel about his family – he is a cousin of Jan Faktor (see Newsletter#10) and, as always, .Libuše worked her wonders on the family history and Dan wrote again to us: “. Dear David and Radan, We want to thank you, for searching and

sending us the material about our family. We were very excited to get it and to discover some

facts about our family. some of them were unknown to us, specially about my mother family

Herz , that all of them except my mother did not survived the Holocaust. We were also very

happy to get the picture of our grand father because we doesn’t know till yet how he looks like.

Thank you again and all the best Daniel and all the Spitzer family in Israel”

Bedřich (Fred) is second from the left. Photo taken in Manor Farm. Does anyone recognise Fred and know anything about Manor

Farm?

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Dan sent us some wonderful photos:

Spitzers and Schornsteins 1931_Fritzi Fricher; Lucy Winkelsberg; Franci

Schornstein; Eva Rufeisen; Lissy S; Bubi Rufeisen

Ronny Perlman (geb. Kippel) writes, also from Israel: “My name is Ronny Perlman nee

Kippel. I grew up in Karvina 1947-1967- a 30 min tram ride from Ostrava where at the Jewish

community center/room I studied Hebrew!!!! in about 1954.” He, and we, would love to hear from anyone who remembers him or the Kippel family.

Pepek Salomonovic told me about a lady who now lives in Stockholm, Lida Meth. I have written to her and hope to hear from her soon. Meanwhile, Pepek gave me a copy of a school photograph from Lida. Can you recognize anyone?

Lida is on the front row, next to the teacher, Ms Jitka Wechsbergová Vera Kuronová, who now lives in Canada, is 4th from left on the front row.

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I recently had the pleasure of meeting Trudy Korda (geb. Wechsler) who was visitng London from her home in the USA. Her family owned the Textilia department store in Ostrava and we hope to receive from her some photographs of the store at the height of its popularity. Elliot Renton (family Reichenbaum) writes with some heart-warming news: “As you

may be aware, my fathers (George’s) parents from Ostrava, Berta and Alfred Reichenbaum lost

between them 4 parents, 6 siblings and 3 brother/sister in-laws, 13 in all. The surviving siblings

had no children. Happily, my sister had her 3rd child last week, and between us, Berta and

Alfred’s next generation have just generated 14. Myself (me + 4 children) My sister (her + 3

children) and my father brothers children (4 children) have now finally managed not only to

replace those lost but also happily now grow the family – a net gain for the first time. A small

story, but nice nevertheless!

Lost 13:

Dvorah and Leo Meisler

David and Sophie Reichenbaum

Hermina, Malvina, Helen and Karel Meisler

Ishak Goldminzc (m Hermina) Max Brenner (m Malvina)

Poldie (+wife) and Paul Reichenbaum

Found 14:

Elliot, Asher, Amalia, Yishai and Noa Renton

David, Nicola, Lauren, Anthony and Alison

Julia, Thomas, Oliver and new Baby(!) Rackind

All the best

Elliot”

OSTARAVA UNVEILS A PLAQUE TO KAREL REISZ

On 25 September 2009 a plaque was unveiled to Karel Reisz, film director, outside the house in Ostrava, at 28 Řinja St, where he spent his boyhood. Commemorating his life in the Cinema, the plaque is in the form of a sculpture of a camera whose lens shows the photo of the pre war Reisz family with Karel and his brother Pavel as children. Only the two boys survived the Holocaust, the rest were killed in Auschwitz, but Karel's story is inspiring and his legacy alive and well today.

The house is on the site of Karel’s grandfather, Ignatz’, gents outfitting shop. Ignatz’ son, Josef, became a prominent Ostrava lawyer and redeveloped the site of the shop. The family lived there and Pavel (now Paul) and Karel were born and lived there. Paul, who now lives in Marple Bridge, Stockport, England returned to Ostrava for the ceremony.

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Pavel Reisz Memorial THERESIENSTADT CONCERT

Two days after Yom Kippur, Anne-Sofie von Otter presented a programme of songs and music from Theresienstadt at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the South Bank, London. The music, all by composers of whom I had not heard (I am sorry to say) and all of whom bar one perished in the camps, was fantastic. The Sonata for Solo Violin by Erwin Schulhoff was particularly memorable. Among the songs were three by Ilse Weber, from Ostrava. Ilse’s parents-in-law presented a torah mantle to the main synagogue in Ostrava in 1935. It survived and is now in the Jewish Museum in Prague and we have a photograph of it. In 1939, Ilse sent her elder son, Hanuš, on Kindertransport to England to a friend of hers who was a Swedish diplomat in London. Hanuš’

younger brother, Tommy, had tonsillitis and could not travel with Hanuš so Tommy went with his parents to Theresienstadt. Hanuš never saw his brother or his mother again. He now lives in Stockholm. Amazingly, his father and much of Ilse’s poetry survived. Ilse was a author and poetess. Those of you who have been to one of the Ostravak gatherings in the synagogue will probably have seen a poem she wrote, Letter to My Son. I cannot read it without weeping. In the concert, Anne-Sofie sang another of Ilse’s poems about her son:

The final work in the concert was a lullaby by Ilse Weber. She worked as a nursery nurse in Theresiensadt and when the time came in 1944 for “her” children to be sent to Auschwitz she

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decided that she could not let then go on such an awful journey alone, so she went with them and was murdered with them. The last lines of the lullaby are:

The first mass transport of Jews from Ostrava to Theresienstadt arrived the day after Yom Kippur, 1942.

GENEALOGIST

Some of you have been interested in tracing your families further back in time or further afield geographically than even wonderful Libuše can manage. I am pleased that we have found someone in Ostrava who may be able to help in this. It would be a private arrangement between you and him and payment would be involved. Please let us know if you are interested.

STOLPERSTEINE AND TRIP TO OSTRAVA

We have had confirmation that Gunter Demnig will lay the Stolpersteine in Ostrava “sometime in June 2010”. We have quite a few people who have expressed interest in having such memorial stones laid and there is still time to include more. If you are interested, please contact Heinz Vogel (heinz@firlands.mail1.co.uk) or Monica or David as soon as possible. Do not worry if you do not know the exact address for the stones or if you are missing other details – there is enough time for us to find the missing information. We still intend to organise a trip to Prague and Ostrava, probably the week after the stone laying, so that we can see the laid stones (and say Kaddish, if you wish) and we will not be held up with any problems with the laying. If you are interested in joining the trip, please let David or Monica know as soon as possible.

Ing. PETR KAJNAR, PRIMÁTOR, STATUTÁRNÍ MĚSTO OSTRAVA

During my trip to Ostrava for the Nisko Memorial and Conference, I had the honour of meeting the Mayor of Ostrava. Ing Kaynar kindly took time out of his busy day to see me and I took the opportunity of telling him of our activities and presenting him with a set of the first 11 Newsletters. He welcomed our interest and involvement in Ostrava and hoped to welcome us all next year during our visit.

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OUR ARCHIVE

I am delighted to tell you that Mag Hana Šústková has started to work with us, on a part time basis for an initial three month period, to help us complete and organise our archive. The funds we have collected so far will cover the costs for this initial period and probably a little longer, but we still need significantly more financial support if this project is to continue. Please let me know if you are willing and able to support us.

Hana, at the Nisko Memorial ceremony Hana has also given me a small Czech lesson. I now know that a male citizen of Ostrava is an Ostravák and the plural is Ostraváci. The female forms are Ostravačka and Ostráváčky; and a group of males and females are Ostravané. I shall try and get it right in future.

NEW AMBASSADOR Michael Žantovský has been appointed Czech Ambassador to the UK and took up his post a few weeks ago. His previous post was as Ambassador in Israel and he was an advisor to President Havel. I have written to him on behalf of the Group offering him a Mazal Tov and best wishes on his appointment and telling him of our activities, expressing the hope that he will be able to join us for the next Ostravané gathering. His new Cultural Attaché, Mrs Jana Přikrylová, will check his diary and will let us know.

OSTRAVAK GATHERING We are beginning to think about the next gathering of Ostravaks, which we hope will be in March 2010. The probable date is Sunday 14th, from 2:30 p.m. as usual. Unfortunately, we will have to make a small charge (£5 each) to cover the catering costs, unless someone would like to sponsor the event. If you are willing to do so, please let me know. We hope that Evelyn McGilloway (geb. Rix), who has recently retired as a professional concert pianist, will be able to play one or two pieces for us.

We also hope to be honoured with the presence of H.E. Mr Michael Žantovský.

We intend to place all our archive material in the Jewish Museum in Prague. They, and we, would welcome any original photographs, documents or artefacts which you would be willing to donate to the Museum. Please let David or Monica know if you have any relevant material or contact Dr Michal Frankl directly, at the Museum.

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Any more Ostravaks? Please pass the word about our group to any other Ostravaks that you know and let us know about them, as well. And please let us have any more news of yourself and your family.

Don’t forget your contributions – money and documents - to the Ostrava Archive!

Apology

We are very sorry that our circulation list has had gaps in it and that some of you had been left off. I hope we have now

corrected it, but please do let us know of any Ostraváne you know about who might not receive the Newsletter.

CHANUKAH May we be the first to wish you all a very Happy Chanukah and a peaceful (civil) New Year! Monica Popper Ranelagh Cottage 7 Ailsa Road TWICKENHAM Middlesex TW1 1QJ UK

David Lawson 29 Malcolm Drive SURBITON Surrey KT6 6QS UK Tel: 00 44 20 8390 8142 Email: lawsonassoc@btinternet.com

Tel 00 44 20 8891 3508 Email: monsonn@talktalk.net